Charles m



(No ModeIL) G. M. GULP.

RAIL JOINT OR CHAIR.

No. 398,709. Patentedl-"eb. 26, 1889.

WITNESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

(HARLES M. GULF, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA.

RAIL JOINT OR CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,709, dated February 26, 1889.

Application filed May 25, 1888. Serial No. 275,055. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. CULP, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of South Bend, in the county of St. Joseph and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints or Chairs; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to railway'chairs.

The object is to produce a simple and effective device for clamping rails securely in position in the seat or chair on the sleeper, whereby the rails will be held firmly in place against any violent racking or jarring incident to the vibratory motion imparted to them by passing trains; furthermore, to provide a device which shall be of such construction that the rail will be allowed to expand or contract without tending to loosen or strain the bolts holding the device intact; furthermore, to produce a device which shall render the use of ordinary fish-plates and nut-locks unnecessary, thereby rendering the construction of railway-lines less troublesome and expenv I sive, and, finally, to produce a dev1ce which shall be simple of construction, efficient and durable in use, and comparatively inexpeni i the clamp is drawn down toward the basesive of production.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, and in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the railway-chair with the rails removed, showing the lugs on the under part of the stationary cheek and the projections against which the clamp presses when the device is in operation. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of a carrail, showing notches cut in one side for engaging the lugs on the under part of the stationary cheek.

ing the device put together.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the base-piece, on one side of which along the edge is formed or secured an overhanging check, a. On the inner surface of this check are a number of lugs, a, which are designed to en- Fig. 3 is a detail view of the clamp, showing the plate for holding the nuts in position; and Fig. 4 is a perspecth'e view show- I I i gage the notches b on the car-rail B. The op posite edge of the base-piece is provided with two projections, a the inner faces of which are inclined from the top to the bottom to ward the cheek upon the opposite edge.

0 designates the removable cheek,which is of such configuration that it fits snugly against the rail, the upper portion fitting under the top or tread of the rail and the lower portion resting on the base-piece. Thus when pressure is brought to bear upon the rail it serves the double purpose of a clamp for holding the rails in contact with the stationary cheek and as a support for the rail itself.

D designates the clamp for holding the removable check in position against the rail. At a pointon its upper edge, and preferably near the center, is cut a notch, (1, designed to engage a projection, c, on the removable check 0 to prevent lateral displacement of the same, and on each end of the lower portion of the said clamp are shoulders d, which engage the projection a? on the base-piece to prevent the clamp from moving to either side from any cause. The edges of the clamp are inclined or beveled, so that when it is placed in its inclined position between the projections and the removable cheek G they will bear squarely against the vertical face of the cheek and the inclined faces of the projections, and as plate the edges will easily slide upon these surfaces and force the cheek firmly against the rail. As the faces of the cheek and the projections are inclined toward each other as they approach the base'piece, it is evident that as the clamp is drawn toward the basepiece the check will be forced tighter and tighter against the rail, and as the clamp does not touch the base, but is only supported at its ends, the tightening of the bolts will have a tendency to spring the clamp, and thus secure a constant pressure against the check (I at all times.

E designates the plate for locking the nuts on the bolts after they have been screwed to their seats. It operates as follows: The bolts for holding the device together are introduced through suitable openings in the base-piece and pass through corresponding openings in the clamp. The nuts are then screwed down contraction of the metal due to'the variations 5 in temperature.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to secure by 1 Letters Patent, .is-

In a railway-chair, the combination of a stationary cheek a IGl'IlOYflhlO check for holding the rails against the stationary cheek, a clamp for holding the removable cheek in position against the rails, the edges of which are beveled or inclined, and projections 0r shoulders formed on the base-plate, the inner faces of which are inclined from their tops to their bottoms toward the stationary check, against which the clamp presses when the nuts are turned, thereby causing the removable cheek to press against the rails and hold the same in position, substantially as described.

In testimony that Iclaim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. CULP.

\Vitnesses:

Tnno. BLAKE, WM. A. RUTHERFORD. 

